


IRK: An Invader Zim AU

by orphan_account



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Irken Empire (Invader Zim), Irkens (Invader Zim), Other, Pre-Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus, Smeets (Invader Zim)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-03-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:41:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23113381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Zim was always considered a defect to his race. Nothing more than a flaw in the machine, a mistake; something that wasn’t up to code for what the Control Brains demanded… but what if there was more to it? What if Zim wasn’t ‘defective’, but merely the product of an ancient civilization lost to Irk’s history books?
Comments: 2
Kudos: 32





	1. The Black sheep

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Invader Zim fanfiction so please be nice. I’ve had this AU in my head for quite a while, so it’s nice to finally have a story for it. I hope you enjoy the first of many chapters to come!

When Tallest Miyuki was tasked with the job of watching the new smeets emerge from their Smeeteries, she was very thrilled. She recalled herself as a smeet and how progressive she had been for the Empire, both during training and in battle once she was ranked as a soldier. Smeets were curious little things and very vulnerable when first hatched, so a Tallest should always be the first (if not second) thing a smeet should see - and as such, she had to make a good first impression.

Miyuki donned a fluffy, dark blue cape; it was a gift from a neighboring planet called Lazuroth, and it made her look especially exquisite. Once a service drone helped her with the cape, she was led by an Irken soldier to one of the many Smeeteries on Irk.

“My Tallest, are you excited to see the new smeets?” asked the soldier.

“Oh yes! Smeets are always so cute! I cannot wait to see them grow into fine soldiers like yourself!” Miyuki exclaimed.

“Oh my, you are too kind to me, My Tallest,” the soldier chuckled heartily, but he didn’t speak further. He knew that The Tallests had more important things to do than converse with a soldier, of course.

“My Tallest, we have arrived. Is there anything I can help you with while you are here?” the soldier asked, with a quirked antenna.

Miyuki looked at the hatch pods that contained the smeets, and to her disappointment, not many were ready yet. She regarded the soldier's question with a wave of her claw.

“Yes, please stand guard for me. Thank you.”

“Of course, My Tallest!” The Irken soldier did a traditional salute before marching towards the entrance, guarding it with a ray gun at the ready.

Miyuki sighed as she noticed half the pods were definitely not ready - the smeets were still developing in their tubes. It didn’t look like one would come out soon… so why was she tasked to do this? Surely, the Control Brains would know if the Smeeteries would produce smeets or not. What was she to do if there were no smeets to impress?

Moments later, her thoughts were answered. A pod suddenly sprung to life, displaying a green face that appeared to be smiling; that was a sign that a smeet was ready. Miyuki hardly could contain her excitement as she watched a clawed machine pull the pod from its resting place and break it in half.

Excitement turned to horror as she saw that the small Irken, that flopped forward onto the goop-covered floor, had a equally-small but prominent tail.

The Irken soldier who had been guarding the area heard a scream, and in panic he sprinted towards where Tallest Miyuki was standing. 

“My Tallest! Are you alright?! What has happened?!”

“The smeet!” Miyuki shrieked, backing away a bit and pointing at the now-living Irken, who was just standing there and looking rather confused. “It has a tail! Smeets don’t have tails!”

The soldier raised an antenna in alarm. “I’m sorry, My Tallest, but you said it has a tail?” He slowly went over towards the newly hatched… whatever it was, examining the back of it. Swishing back and forth was a short green tail, attached to the smeet’s lower back. His antennae shot up. “Oh my…”

“What do we do? This isn’t a smeet! So what is it? Is it some sort of hybrid?! Is it defective?!” Tallest Miyuki wailed - and the soldier seemed just as baffled.

“Perhaps we should contact Tallest Spork, My Tallest?” he suggested.

Miyuki shook her head, taking a deep breath as she recomposed herself. “Tallest Spork is in a meeting. Perhaps we should contact the Control Brains - this is obviously some sort of error, and they can find the culprit responsible for tampering with the Smeeteries.”

“M-my Tallest…” the Soldier sputtered.

Miyuki sighed in annoyance. “Yes? What is it, soldier?” 

“It appears that while we were discussing this matter, the smeet has disappeared…” 

“It what?!” Miyuki exclaimed, looking behind her. A trail of goo was the only thing she saw, with no smeet in sight.

This was going to be difficult; finding one little smeet among thousands of Irkens would not be easy. Perhaps she should let it go - it was just a smeet with a tail, nothing to fret over. The PAK attached to it would make it obey the Empire and Control Brains, as all Irkens were programmed to do. Nothing could go wrong. 

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a quick little note to say that the planet, Lazuroth belongs to my dear friend CatlynnGunn and her Invader Zim Fanfic ‘Interstellar’ I just wanted to give a little nod to her and her work.


	2. Defective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Control Brains have a chat with the Tallests, the Smeet’s identity is revealed, and the now grown up Irken proves to be less than satisfactory.

Tallest Miyuki and Spork found themselves before the Control Brains, the most powerful beings on Irk. The two Tallests stood atop high pillars, which all plunged into a cold blue chasm. Above their heads was a deep red dome, and beyond that, a mass of cables before the window to a starry sky… and in front of that sky, there were the Control Brains, bulbous PAK-like machines that loomed far above the Tallests.

Both their gazes were locked on the Brains, as they prepared for an order - or a sentence.

“Tallest Miyuki…” the Brains boomed in unison. “We have heard that a defective smeet may be on the loose. Is this correct information?”

Miyuki stood tall, taking a step forward the moment she heard her name. Her nerves were all over the place, unfitting for a Tallest, so she dared not let it show. “Yes, that is correct,” she stated. “The smeet had run off before I could turn them in; I apologize for my carelessness.” She did a quick bow.

Spork looked toward Miyuki in concern; yes, he was at a meeting at the time but she could’ve come to him first. Running to the Control Brains about this was a big mistake; they could find this act inexcusable and have them both executed.

“If it would appease you, I will destroy the smeet,” Miyuki continued. “I plead you, Almighty Control Brains, to allow me to prove my worthiness as a Tallest. I intend to do better, if I could just-”

“That will not be necessary,” the Brains responded.

Miyuki and Spork nearly jumped in alarm. They were afraid now; if Miyuki couldn’t carry out her plan to destroy the smeet… then what would happen to her? Or to both of them?

“The smeet shall be involved in our Invader Program; it must be trained. There is no use in destroying it.”

Invader program? What use would a defective be to Invaders? Both Miyuki and Spork found themselves puzzled. However, the Control Brains made the rules on Irk; the Tallests were just there to carry them out, to be useful to the Empire as higher beings (but not higher than a Control Brain, of course). To disobey the Brains… well, you were just asking to be declared defective and have your PAK deactivated.

“Yes, Almighty Control Brains,” both Tallests answered with a bow. 

The runaway smeet was quickly found, and immediately enrolled in military training.

“Smeet Zim,” Tallest Miyuki announced. “By orders of The Control Brains, you are to be put in a military training facility. You are to train to become an Invader, and you will aid Irk’s military for the glory of the Empire.”

Zim did a salute. “Yes, My Tallest.”

Miyuki seemed pleased. Perhaps there was some hope for this little one; it didn’t seem entirely defective. 

“Commander Poki will be your trainer, and will escort you to the military base,” Miyuki informed. 

From the doorway of the Tallest’s headquarters, an Irken wearing heavy battle armor thumped in, giving Miyuki a salute before going over to the little smeet. “Are you smeet Zim?” she asked, her voice gruff.

Zim nodded, and the commander quickly turned on her heel. “Come on, squirt, we haven’t got all day. Training starts now! Follow me!” she commanded, leading Zim out of the room.

Zim proved to be less than adequate during his military training, from not following orders, to injuring his fellow colleagues, to almost destroying the entire planet. He was the most incompetent Invader-in-training that Commander Poki had ever seen. At the very least, his destructive habits were… creative, so he was reassigned to science duty on a joint Irken-Vortian outpost.

Not long afterwards, Tallest Miyuki and Tallest Spork were both eaten alive by a planet-terrorizing, energy-absorbing blob monster, to the horror and dismay of their subjects.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so happy that I can complete another chapter! I have struggled so much with writing in the past but it seems this fanfic has given me some drive! I’m excited that my brain is willing to cooperate with me and really churn out those ideas. Thank you to my friends for reading, critiquing and editing this chapter and thank you for reading.


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